Last week, I sold a house. If I am being honest, I actually sold two houses. But I don’t like to brag. Oh, why don’t we tell the complete truth here and declare that I sold two houses and wrote a deal for a buyer? So, we could say I sold three houses. But really, I won’t make a big deal of it.

The point of this is to tell you about one of my clients; let’s call her “The OCD Seller”. Or, as she calls herself: “The House Fluffer”. Working for the House Fluffer got me thinking about what it takes to sell a house. We all know the basics: number one being, of course, that you need a good Realtor. And yes, I am being tongue-in-cheek, but I also do whole-heartedly believe this. The way your home is marketed, shown, and represented is essential if you want to get top dollar. And of course, in the negotiation process, you will need someone who is competent and confident. But enough about me!

The fact is, however great your Realtor is, there are limits to what they can do. They will only ever be as good as the product they are selling, or the Seller they are representing. A Realtor can’t paint a house, or replace a faulty tap, or whip up a new roof. They cannot keep a house clean, or re-arrange furniture, or hang pictures. They cannot be the soul of a home – which I believe comes from the people who live in it.

In the case of The OCD House Fluffer, the soul was very much in evidence. Her, her husband and her daughter had done everything they could to enhance their home to show at its absolute best. An older home, as this was, can often present challenges. Not this one: everything – and I mean everything – was ship-shape and immaculate. From the new roof, beautiful new kitchen, and high-end newly finished bathroom to the glorious hanging baskets on the patio, it was – well, perfect.

Her attention to detail was scary – and I say scary because quite often I didn’t even notice the detail. I started to get worried that I would miss something and not make the appropriate declarations of appreciation. I had to be on the top of my game to keep up with her. Every time I showed the house, something had been tweaked, or added, or polished, or perfected.

On one occasion, the family were away and The Fluffer was concerned that certain things in the house would not show to her standards. I therefore arrived an hour early for the showing, with a list of fluffing instructions, which included but were not limited to: removing the cat litter box from the house (and placing into my car), removing old fruit from the fridge, drying some towels in the dryer, dusting a mirror, and – my personal favourite – removing dead flowers from the carnations in the front garden. This task required great effort on my part, as I had to squint and struggle to find the offender, being that there was (honestly) only one dead flower. And it was tiny. And I’m not even sure it was dead.

When hearing of this list of instructions, the House Fluffer’s own daughter suggested to her mom that it might be time for some OCD meds. Joking aside, I am very grateful to the Fluffer, because she did a great job. She and her family were meticulous, and Buyers see – and appreciate – that. An OCD Seller has obviously taken great pride and care with their home.

Needless to say, we sold the house quickly, and for top dollar. And I say we, because this time, I am not taking all the credit.

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